Japan anime arsonist gets death penalty: Timeline of 2019 studio fire that killed 36

A court in Japan's Kyoto on Thursday (Jan 25) sentenced to death a man who was the perpetrator of a 2019 arson attack on an animation studio that killed 36 people. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, Shinji Aoba, now aged 45, set the KyoAni studio in Kyoto on fire in July 2019. Aoba himself suffered heavy burns and underwent intensive treatment for nearly a year.

He was arrested near the arson site and faced five charges, including murder and arson. This incident had sent shockwaves not just in Japan, but across the world given the studio's far-reaching fan base.

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>On the morning of July 18, 2019, Aoba broke into the building of KyoAni studio, spread gasoline around the ground floor, lit it and shouted "Drop dead," the news agency AFP reported citing the arson's survivors. Thirty-six people were killed and 32 others were injured in the incident. Many of the victims were young people, including a 21-year-old woman. Aoba suffered burns in the fire that covered 90 per cent of his body and he reportedly needed 12 operations.

>The firequickly spread inside the studio. AFP reported that many victims were found on a spiral stairwell leading to the roof, suggesting they were overcome as they desperately tried to escape. Firefighters called the incident "unprecedented" and said that rescuing people was "extremely difficult."

>The fire was brought under control on July 19. The Kyoto police had said that some victims were difficult to identify as they had been burnt beyond recognition. According to autopsy results that were released on July 22, the majority of the victims died due to burns rather than carbon monoxide poisoning.

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>After awaiting his recovery from life-threatening injuries for over ten months, Shinji Aoba was arrested on May 27, 2020, on charges of murder and arson. He pleaded guilty to starting the arson at the studio.

>What was the reason for the crime? According to Japanese media, Aoba held a grudge against the studio, known for the series "Violet Evergarden" and other popular works, believing that it had plagiarised his novel. This allegation was denied by KyoAni. The incident prompted condolences from world leaders and business executives.

>Founded in 1981 by a husband and wife, KyoAni is a household name for anime fans, responsible for popular TV series including "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" and "K-ON!"

>Following the arson, US animation distributor Sentai Filmworks launched a crowdfunding campaign to help KyoAni get back on its feet. The crowdfunding campaign generated over $2 million.

>Earlier, Aoba's lawyers entered a plea of not guilty, saying he "did not have the capacity to distinguish between good and bad and to stop committing the crime due to a mental disorder."

>However on Thursday (Jan 25, 2024), the judge of the Kyoto District Court ruled that the 45-year-old man was "neither insane nor suffering diminished mental capacity at the time of the crime," a report by the NHK said. Later, the court handeda sentence of capital punishment.

(With inputs from agencies)